Festival Scope, Gutek let audiences vote

Festival Scope and Poland’s Gutek Film have developed a new project, Scope50, in collaboration with Soda Pictures (UK), Aero Films (Czech Republic), Stadtkino (Austria), and Cinefil (Hungary).

Scope50, supported by Creative Europe Audience Development, presents a new arthouse distribution business model to stimulate audience interest in independent European films.

In each partner country, 50 film lovers were recruited as the Scope50 community and each person watches 10 selected films to vote for the one to be released in that country.

The films — which vary by territory — include Berlinale Panorama title Out of Nature; San Sebastian winner Magical Girl, Cannes hit Party Girl, Venice selection Goodnight Mommy and Sundance 2014 award winner Blind.

The vote continues until the end of February, and winners will be released theatrically in each territory starting this summer. (Rights will be negotiated with each winning film’s sales company.) The audience panels are also invited to be a part of the release.

The second edition for 2016 will aim to involve larger audiences in each country, as well as adding new territories in Europe.

The project is being presented in Berlin tomorrow (Monday) at the Creative Europe conference.

“We were surprised and encouraged to further develop the project, when we received hundreds of applications and requests from cinephiles to participate in the first edition of Scope50. What was encouraging for us was also a great support from leading European sales agents who offered their films to participate in our project.” said Jakub Duszynski, Gutek’s creative director and head of acquisitions.

In Poland, Gutek saw 800 audience applications to join the 50-person panel.

“It is super exciting to start from scratch a new model for the industry. This time with Scope50 we are building a project with and for the public, together with amazing distributors daring to try something new. It is extremely rewarding,” said Mathilde Henrot and Alessandro Raja, founders of Festival Scope.

Henrot added: “It’s fun because it’s new. If it can be an alternative distribution model, I think it’s worth it for distributors and rights holders to consider.”